In 1926: living at the edge of time - Monoskop

MUMMIES
Early in the year, the small international community of Egyptologists,
millions of newspaper readers, the Egyptian government, and even King
George of England become involved in a long debate about the remains
of the pharaoh Tutankhamen, who died around 1337 B.C. at the age of
about eighteen (EI Mallakh and Brackmann, 166f£'). His tomb, almost
untouched by thieves, was discovered in 1922. The British archaeologist
Howard Carter patiently explored a number of its chambers, classified
myriad artifacts, and, in October 1925, finally penetrated the small room
containing Tutankhamen's sarcophagus. After successively opening four
coffins enclosed one inside the other, Carter found the young pharaoh's
embalmed body and removed its linen wrappings. These actions have
already generated heated discussion about the moral legitimacy of disturbing
the dead without obtaining their consent during their lifetime
[see Cremation], and now another question arises: Should Tutankhamen's
body be returned to its sarcophagus and its original resting
place, or should it be put on permanent display in a museum in Cairo,
London, or New York? Carter counts "over 12,300 visitors to the tomb
and some 270 parties to the laboratory" between January and March
(Carter, xx; EI Mallakh and Brackmann, 144f£.), but the Egyptian government
expects that Tutankhamen's funerary splendor will attract even
more tourists if it becomes easily accessible to the public. This attitude
on the part of the Egyptians is strengthened by their desire to make a
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